New Gummy Bear Tear Drop Silicone Impants - anyone have them?

momto7

Hi ladies! Well my surgery was put off until the 16TH because my PS had a death in the family  so I am getting caught up on things that need to be done at home  and having customers pick up their clothes  before i go in  i will probably be swamped with more sewing  but it is money lol hope every one is doing good

TLR

Momto7, sorry your surgery was postponed. We are having surgery on the same day. Good luck to you and prayers for a speedy recovery.

lilithmoon

kbella, I have similar issues since my swap from round to 410's. They look so much better but there is some rippling in the upper pole and the top/side of the implant is visible through the skin.  There is also a 'shelf' on the top.  I think some of this will change over time.  I thought I'd give it 6 months or so and then talk to my PS about some fat grafting.  Overall I'm much happier with the 410's.  Wishing you well

Momof2girls

I'll be discussing options with my PS tomorrow. I had bilateral DIEP last October, but the DCIS was quite large and right up into subcutaneous fat in some places. It finally took a completion mastectomy on one side to get it done. MO recommended a delayed reconstruction in case radiation was necessary. Now (with pathology saying no cancer within 3mm of a margin) I can't get her to return my calls. PS says lat flap with implant is best for symmetry. I'm a 34B, with no ptosis, and would like some upper fullness which is currently lacking. I'm not sure tear drops will give me the volume I'd like, and we'll see what PS says tomorrow for both sides. When pregnant I was a 36C/D, and I'd love to get a nice perky pair.

nutmeg_89

trina25,

on a very sad note I finally got a hold of someone at sientra that had the information about the shaped round implants. they told me that they were considering making bigger sizes but it would not be happening any time this year I have another appointment with my ps next wed and I have to give him my choice between the style 45 extra high profile implants and the sientra shaped round base ones, and I am very very torn!!!

Katlebbie

Nutmeg 89 I understand how you feel. I am waiting for insurance to OK my revision from 19 years ago and I am overwhelmed with the decision on which implant to go with. Everything has changed so much. I will be interested in which one you go with. Hang in there.

Momof2girls

I spoke with PS about the teardrop gummy's. He said that he's not a fan due to the problems that arise if they move around in the pocket. Also, in my case they will be covered by pectoralis, lat flap, and some alloderm, so he prefers to use the smooth round cohesive gels (mentor) rather than the teardrops.

Katlebbie

Thanks Momof2girls............that gives me something to think about and talk to my PS about. The insurance company is really starting to make me upset. My PS sent the information to them on the 18 of July and we still haven't heard anything. It's been 19 years since my mastectomy and 17 since my lymph nodes were removed  so all of the records are not longer available, in Nebraska before they went digital, everything was purged if there was no activity after 10 years. It seems like we are always waiting for something.

Trina25

@kbella thanks for the insight. Having breasts that don't move is my biggest concern now with the gummies. I have tissue expanders n as the gummies will b softer , them not moving would b keeping me n the same boat . For as your bra issue have you used bras with the removable padding ? I would only use the padding for the smaller breast and take out the padding on the side of the larger breast.

kbella

@lilithmoon thanks for the reply.  Because I developed rippling anyway, and would prefer a softer breast, I have been second-guessing whether rounds would have been the better choice for me (even though my PS warned up front that I would likely have have more rippling with the rounds), so it is good to know that you are happier with your 410s.  Why did you decide to swap yours out? 

@Trina25 You might ask if your PS or nurse navigator could put you in touch with patients who have had the implants so that you could feel the difference for yourself before you decide.  That would have been very helpful to me since the implants feel very different and much firmer inside the body than when I played with the samples in the PS's office.  That said, the wife of a coworker who recently had a breast augmentation (from an A to a small C with silicone rounds) was kind enough to let me feel her foobs, and I have to say, even they were surprisingly firm to me, so it was good and somewhat reassuring to have that comparison.  There's a certain amount of faith involved in these decisions.

lilithmoon

kbella - there was too much rippling and the softness of the round silicone made my breast look really deformed.  I have the implant over the muscle so that is probably one of the biggest reasons.  My PS thought the 410 would work better and he was right.  It holds its shape much better and seems to be softening a bit with time.  The shape is much more natural and they were able to match my other breast in which I also had a gummy placed (non-cancer side).  I look normal in clothes and bikini.  My BF treats it like a normal breast which is such a relief!!

blanviper

kbella- I too had more distortion and rippling with my previous soft round implant, along with a 'step-off' where the implant began. It was a trade-off: softness and more jiggle, or firmer and less ripples and distortion. I switched to a Sientra anatomical and it's better for ME. Bonus was it's a more natural match to my natural side. Having had both, I can say that the soft rounds were still not as soft as my own breast, were definitely perkier and would stay that way. The shape and its difference from my other breast was only going to get worse with time because it wasn't a more natural shape to begin with. Being a UMX, a big factor for me that others may not have.

kbella

lilithmoon - So glad to hear that you have a very cool and supportive partner.  I had just started dating someone when the sh*t hit the fan.  Talk about level-jumping.  Could have been a relationship killer but turned out to be a really good thing.  Like your BF, mine just considers my foobs to be another part of me which probably proves that we are our own worst critics.  So, I try not to obsess.  But as I said to my PS, each foob looks fine on its own, they are just more fraternal than identical twins - I shall call them Mary-Kate and Ashley.  I'm not sure he appreciated my humor.  :-) Thanks to you and others on this site I am getting a better idea of what issues to pursue and when to call it a day.

Katlebbie

Kbella I just read your last post so happy that your new guy stayed around to support you. It's wonderful! ...........on my own (yes I'm having a little pitty party right now) but I will get through it, I always do.

Still no news form the insurance company. I'm just worried because I just know there is something wrong and I have this feeling that they will deny the surgery. I'm having pain that I never had before.

I heard that the insurance has to respond with in 30 days it's been 21 days.

lilithmoon

very funny Kbella! Glad your partner is so supportive. I like the way you are dealing with the foob issue.  I make a lot of jokes about them too with my good friends.  It really helps me deal with the absurdity of it all.

Katlebbie - my last BF dissapeared when I had my Mx.  Been dealing with all of this alone up until a few months ago and I know it sucks big time.  Didn't think anyone would be interested in me post cancer but was pleasantly surprised.  Taking it slow however.  It's amazing what we can deal with on our own.  I feel much stronger now.  Hope things work out, keep us posted

Katlebbie

lilithmoon, sorry that you not only had the bf leave you but that you had to go through all of your treatment alone. Awesome news that you found someone so cool!  I hope it all works out for you!

I think my problem is that the insurance company is making me crazy......still haven't heard from them on the procedure but the office visit was covered. So I guess that's a possitive. I will post when I find out. Thanks for the suport!

lilithmoon

yes, keep us posted.  Hope everything works out!

mkildare

This may be a dumb question, but what does "step off" mean? I've noticed quite a few women in the reconstruction forum using that term when referring to the result of implants and I'm still trying to figure out exactly what it means!

Thanks. 

momto7

One of my friends had implants put in in the 60's  and she had to have them replaced because one had leaked and back then there  were a lot of problems with them  she said. Now at 65 she is having them replaced again  and is very excited  about it we weill have our surgeries a few days apart so I am hoping she will recover fast too. she said that we are the sister hood of the boobs lmao  Hope every one is haveing a great weekend!

TinaT

mkildare - "Step off" usually refers to area at the top edge of the implant.  Breast tissue extends fairly high on the chest wall and is removed during MX.  If round implants are used there can be an unnatural transition between the upper chest and the start of the implant, especially in thinner women and if the implants have some projection.  Rather than a smooth slope which is there with the natural breasts there can be more of a sharp "angle" between the chest wall and the implant.  Hope that makes sense

blanviper

mkildare- A step off just means that you can see a pretty definite line where the top edge of the implant begins. Your skin, with no fatty breast tissue, sometimes can't hide the edge of the implant well and it forms kind of a visible ledge or 'step' that is clearly noticible and unnatural. Fat grafting is often used to hide it better.

Katlebbie

TinaT thanks for the explanation I was wondering the same thing.

Momto7 Wow your friend had her implants in since the 60's? I wish both of you well. May I ask which implants both of you are going with. I am still uncertain which ones I am going to replace with, stil doing research. Hope you weekend is going well too!

mkildare

Yes, makes complete sense now, thanks ladies! So, step off should be diminished more with the tear drop shaped implant since it slopes more gradually like a natural breast?

TinaT

mkildare - Yes, that is one of the benefits of the teardrop implants.

momto7

Katelbbee she is going with the gummies she said she really liked them and is really a good support person. She  is more excited than I am  I had wanted the gummies my ps said they would work but  they  are a bit heavier than the saline ones I  am going with the saline  implants the one thing I am concerned about is maybe some dimpleing that can happen  he had told me it can happen with any implant  2 days and counting  Friday will be here fast

violet_1

Momto7,

Good Luck!!! Why don't you put your name on the Exchange City list... You just PM the person at the top of that thread and she'll add your name...;)

Katlebbie

@ momto7 thanks for the information and I wish you all the best! Good Luck!

nutmeg_89

I had my last ps appointment today and I finally decided to go with the sientra shaped round at 425cc. My exchange date in sep 6th and I cant wait to get rid of these rocks!!! Thank you to everone for helping me make a choice! 

Momto7, good luck on your surgery!

TLR

Momto7, good luck with your surgery. We are both having our exchage on the same day. 2 days to go!

ConnieGreene

just checking in - mine are kind of willy wonka now...saggy and one is weirdly shaped and the other looks like a hamburger bun so my PS is going to do some fat grafting and lipo (wonder if she can take it ALL?!!!) when I go in for the nipple reconstruction